Took me 5 tries to stop over-torquing oil drain plugs

I had a 2004 Corolla come in last month with a stripped oil pan thread. Customer was mad because he just changed the oil himself. I pulled the plug and saw he used a 3/8 ratchet and just cranked it down. That moment I realized I do the same thing half the time. Always thought tighter was better, but really I was just asking for trouble. Now I use a torque wrench set to 18 ft-lbs on every single oil change I do. Anyone else ever mess up a pan this way or am I the only slow learner?

2 comments

2 Comments

jamiesingh10d ago

Torque wrench changed my life on oil changes too. 18 ft-lbs and never looked back, no more leaks or stripped threads.

robin83610d ago

Never looked back" huh? I get it, but I think it's overkill for oil changes. Most drain plugs are just crush washers. Hand tight with a solid 1/4 turn is plenty. Torque wrench for oil pans feels like bringing a calculator to count to ten. Plus those things can drift out of spec over time. I've seen guys overtighten with a torque wrench because it clicked wrong. Snap ring pliers, sure. Spark plugs, absolutely. But for oil changes? Just don't gorilla it.